The points of issue
First edition is the Phantasia Press hardcover, issued in two states: a signed/numbered limited edition of 475 copies (limitation leaf stating the copies were numbered and signed by the author, in a specially bound and boxed/slipcased edition) and a trade hardcover. Won the 1988 Hugo Award for Best Novel. The Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback is a later issue.
Is this the true first?
The Phantasia Press hardcover is the true first. The signed/numbered limited state (475 copies, boxed) carries priority cachet over the trade hardcover; the Bantam Spectra paperback is the later mass-market issue.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Science Fiction Book Club edition is later, carries a gutter blindstamp on the rear board and an unpriced 'Book Club Edition' jacket, and lacks the Phantasia limitation leaf and imprint.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Uplift War a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition is the Phantasia Press hardcover, issued in two states: a signed/numbered limited edition of 475 copies (limitation leaf stating the copies were numbered and signed by the author, in a specially bound and boxed/slipcased edition) and a trade hardcover. Won the 1988 Hugo Award for Best Novel. The Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback is a later issue.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The Phantasia Press hardcover is the true first. The signed/numbered limited state (475 copies, boxed) carries priority cachet over the trade hardcover; the Bantam Spectra paperback is the later mass-market issue.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The Science Fiction Book Club edition is later, carries a gutter blindstamp on the rear board and an unpriced 'Book Club Edition' jacket, and lacks the Phantasia limitation leaf and imprint.
I have a first edition of The Uplift War — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.